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The AFU and Urban Legend Archive Movies wizard of oz more
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The AFU and Urban Legend Archive Movies wizard of oz more
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From: warinner@typhoon.xnet.com (Robert Warinner)
Newsgroups: alt.folklore.urban
Subject: Cecil Adams takes a Wiz
Date: 23 May 1997 14:35:10 GMT
Cecil Adams takes on the "suicide in the background of the Wizard of Oz" legend in his column from two weeks ago. He debunks the suicide theory and hints at another interpretation:
The Straight Dope research department, known for its dogged investigative skills, tracked down Stephen Cox, author of an entertaining volume entitled The Munchkins of Oz (1996). Cox, who interviewed more than 30 Munchkins to collect stories about the making of the movie, dismissed the suicide story and hinted at an alternative theory, which we'll get to in a moment. He also put us in touch with Mickey Carroll, 78, one of 13 Munchkins still alive today (out of an original 124). Carroll said he'd first heard the story about five years ago but also thought it was bunk. "We were on the set for two months," he said. "I think I would have known if someone committed suicide." (Incidentally, several Munchkins did get fired--one for threatening his wife with a gun--but apparently none was the suicidal type.)
Well, OK. But then what are we seeing? Cox points out that if you look closely during the eight or nine minutes preceding the "suicide," i.e., from just before Dorothy and the Scarecrow encounter the apple-tossing trees, you can spot a large bird strolling around the set--maybe a crane or a stork. (For much of the time it appears to be tethered near the house on which the Wicked Witch perches.) One presumes the bird is supposed to provide atmosphere, but basically all it does is pop into the frame at odd moments. Reviewing the "suicide" with this in mind, we instantly realize: it's the stupid bird pecking the ground and then flapping its wings! Though, this being Hollywood Babylon and all, a naked woman's leg can't be ruled out entirely. But the adult in us knows the truth.
This is somewhat at odds with the AFU's official position:
From: cwvst+@pitt.edu (Charles W Van Keuren) Newsgroups: alt.folklore.urban
Subject: Re: Wizard of Oz-Unnoticed Background Events Message-ID: <6392@blue.cis.pitt.edu>
Date: 20 Mar 93 18:48:15 GMT
References: <1993Mar16.133126.612@antioc.antioch.edu> Sender: news+@pitt.edu Organization: University of Pittsburgh Lines: 81In article <1993Mar16.133126.612@antioc.antioch.edu> mbaya@antioc.antioch.edu writes: >A friend told me that in one scene of the Wizard of Oz you can see someone >'hang' themselves from a tree in the background? >
>Does anyone know about this? Can anyone verify this? >Are there any other weird things in this movie that I havent noticed before?Oh boy! One of my favorite topics: cinematic errors.
Well, the "dead person hanging in the background" rumor is popular, but untrue. What the " hanging person" actually is is a film crew person who got caught in the shot and quickly ran off the set. It's kind a hard to see, but it never did get cut out. I guess the hanging person legend has too much flare to die down.
Andrew "Adams family values" Warinner
warinner@xnet.com
warinner@ttd.teradyne.com
http://www.xnet.com/~warinner
Visit the Sphinx's Nose page: http://www.xnet.com/~warinner/sphinx.html
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